Aberrant regeneration in a case of syringobulbia: selective co-activation of abducens and facial nerves during saccades.
A patient suffering from syringobulbia and syringomyelia exhibited a phasic contraction of the ipsilateral facial muscles, mainly the levator labii, whenever he looked to the left or right. Facial muscle twitches occurred exclusively with saccades. The selective co-activation of abducens and facial nerves is interpreted as the result of bilateral misrouting of regenerating neurons from the parapontine reticular formation to the facial nerve in the tegmentum pontis.
Altenmüller
E
E
Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
Dichgans
J
J
Fetter
M
M
D000010:Abducens Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004576:Electromyography; D004585:Electrooculography; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012154:Reticular Formation / Q000503:physiopathology; D012438:Saccades; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000503:physiopathology*